Close-Up in Portrait Photography
Close-up in portraits focus on the face of the person being photographed, often framing from the top of the forehead to the chin. This type of shot captures the emotions, facial expressions and finer details of the face. It is particularly popular in, beauty and fine art.
CloseUp in Product Photography
In product photography, closeup is used to show the most important features of a product, such as:
- Workmanship and finishing details
- Material structure and textures
- Technical and functionalelements
- Unique productcharacteristics
- Marking and labelling
When photographing the quality of workmanship, the best results will be obtained at an aperture of f/8-f/11, which provides optimum sharpness without excessive depth of field. The structure of the materials requires illumination at an angle of 45 degrees, using softboxes 60x60cm or larger. For glossy elements, it is advisable to use two lamps of at least 400Ws each, positioned on both sides of the product.
When photographing signage and labels, polarise the light by using polarising filters on the lamps and lens, which eliminates unwanted reflections. For maximum readability of the text, we use diffused light and an aperture of f/16.
Close-Up in the Macro Edition
Close-up is often confused with macro photography, but they are two different techniques. While close-up shows the subject up close, macro photography produces an image on a scale of 1:1 or larger. Close-up is often the first step towards macro photography. The minimum focus distance in closeup is usually 30-50cm, whereas in macro we can get a few centimetres closer.
Equipment for Close-Up Photography
Basic kit for close-up photography:
- 90-105mm fixed-focal-length lens with an aperture of f/2.8
- Studio lamps 400Ws with light modifiers
- Tripod with macro head
- Remote shutter release
- Polarising and diffusion filters
For closeup photography, fixed focal length lenses with a focal length between 90 and 105mm work best. They allow you to keep a good distance from your subject while achieving a high magnification.
The lighting set-up should consist of a minimum of two studio lamps of 400Ws each, fitted with 60x60cm or larger softboxes. For glossy products, a shadowless tent of at least 80x80x80cm will be useful. A tripod with a macro head will allow precise positioning of the camera with millimetre accuracy.
Close-Up Technique
Lighting
Key elements of lighting in close-up photography:
- Main light (400-600Ws power) with 80x80cm softbox
- Fill light (200-300Ws) with 120cm diffusion umbrella
- Contour light (200Ws) with stripbox 30x120cm
- Background light (200Ws) with honeycomb
- Blends and reflectors silver/white 100x100cm
Lighting in closeup photography requires relatively precise positioning. The main light should be positioned at an angle of 45 degrees to the lens axis and about 30 degrees above the subject. The frame-filling light is positioned on the opposite side, with a lower power than the main light.
For the photography of glossy products, we use a cross-polarisation technique, using polarising filters. This eliminates unwanted glare and allows for deeper colour saturation. Contour light helps to separate the subject from the background and emphasise its shape.
Post-Production of Close-Up Images
In close-up photography, it is crucial to maintain the right balance between detail and natural look. The basic processing parameters are:
- Edge sharpening (Amount: 80-120, Radius: 0.8-1.2, Threshold: 3-4)
- Noise reduction (Luminance: 10-15, Color: 25-30)
- Chromatic aberration correction
- Dodge & Burn or Frequency Separation for surface equalisation
In Photoshop, it’s a good idea to work on layers with masks, which allows precise control over each element of the image. For sharpening, it is best to use the high-pass technique with soft light, using layers with an opacity of 30-50%.
Practical Tips for Close-Up Photography
When taking close-up photos, pay particular attention to:
- Stabilising the camera (use a tripod and a release cable)
- Precision of focus (manual focus with live view)
- Clarity of the subjects photographed
- Depth of field control
- Quality of the background and its distance from the subject
Forcloseup product photography, the best results are obtained at ISO 100, an exposure time of 1/125s or less (using flash) and an aperture of f/8-f/11. For larger subjects, the focus stacking technique can be used by taking a series of images with different focus points and combining them in Helicon Focus or Photoshop.
